Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yomichelle’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yomichelle’, characterized by its compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; yellow bronze-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering in early September in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yomichelle’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yomichelle’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Gainesville and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made in March, 2001 in Gainesville, Fla., of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Atlantico, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Stacy, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,852, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in September, 2001. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since January, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yomichelle has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yomichelle’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yomichelle’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray         florets.     -   5. Yellow bronze-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in early September in the Northern         Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Atlantico, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were slightly smaller than         plants of the cultivar Atlantico.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about two weeks         earlier than plants of the cultivar Atlantico when grown under         natural season conditions.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Atlantico.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum resisted         fading longer than ray florets of plants of the cultivar         Atlantico.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Stacy, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were stronger than and not as         mounding as plants of the cultivar Stacy.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about two weeks         earlier than plants of the cultivar Stacy.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than         plants of the cultivar Stacy.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Stacy.     -   5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Stacy         differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Stacy had         white-colored ray florets with purple-colored apices.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Golden Grace, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,785. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Golden Grace in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller and more rounded         than plants of the cultivar Golden Grace.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than         plants of the cultivar Golden Grace.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were darker in         color when opening than ray florets of plants of the cultivar         Golden Grace.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Phoebe, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Phoebe in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Phoebe.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were darker in         color when opening than ray florets of plants of the cultivar         Phoebe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photograph show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yomichelle’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the late summer and early fall in an outdoor nursery under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in mid-July, 2004. Plants were grown under natural season conditions. During the production of the plants, temperatures ranged from 10° to 32° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yomichelle. -   Commercial classification: Daisy-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Atlantico, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Stacy, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,852. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten to twelve days             at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous daisy-type             garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with mounded crown.             Stems initially upright, then somewhat outwardly spreading;             compact growth habit. Freely branching with about 13 primary             branches with lateral branches potentially forming at every             node. Moderately vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 22 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 33 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 17.5 cm. Diameter: About             6 mm. Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Aspect: Upright and             outwardly spreading. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to             146A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 3.3 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Attenuate to truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses             mostly divergent. Texture, upper surface: Slightly             pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent; veins             prominent. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage,             upper surface: More darker green than 147A. Developing and             fully expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147A.             Venation, upper surface: More darker green than 147A.             Venation, lower surface: Close to 147A. Petiole length:             About 1.9 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2.5 mm. Petiole color,             upper surface: Darker green than 147A. Petiole color, lower             surface: Close to 147A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals             above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum. About seven             inflorescences per lateral branch.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in early September in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             6 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): More green than 147A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.2 cm. Depth (height):             About 8 mm. Disc diameter: About 9 mm. Receptacle diameter:             About 4 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 1.5 cm.             Width: About 5 mm. Corolla tube length: About 3 mm. Corolla             tube diameter: About 1.5 mm. Apex: Emarginate. Margin:             Fused. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Surface: Concave             to mostly flat to eventually slightly convex. Orientation:             Initially upright, then slightly upright to perpendicular to             the peduncle. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About             28 in about two whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface:             Close to 6A to 9A overlain with 46A. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 6B to 9B. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 6A to 9A more faintly overlain with 46A. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 6B to 9B.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 5 mm.             Width, apex: About 1.25 mm. Width, base: Less than 1 mm.             Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 64. Color:             Immature: Close to 6A to 9A. Mature: Apex: Close to 9A.             Mid-section: Close to 144B. Base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18. Length:             About 6 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface:             Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color,             upper surface: More green than 146A. Color, lower surface:             More green than 147A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 5 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 8.25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: About 40° to 45° from vertical. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to             12A. Amount of pollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 4 mm. Style             color: Close to 154A. Stigma color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from     0° to more than 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yomichelle’, as illustrated and described. 